A Suprising Return Visitor

On Monday night I was looking at the left hand border when I spotted a small brown body behind the Hyacinths.I looked down, and the mouse looked up. The next night I took some peanuts from the bird feeder and made a pile between the plants.I waited for the light to fade as it was twilight that I ran into the mouse.I stood at the doorway in the cold waiting..

The series of photos shows the nut pile getting smaller as he ran to grab a nut, and then scurry off. Cat reminded me that he looked like the mouse from before who lived in the Amazon.co.uk box. The woodmouse is called Amazon.He has survived the winter and damp spring.

Amazon is a Apodemus sylvaticus, or Long Tailed Fieldmouse.

I sat in the dark for the last photo but left him in peace then to carry off the remaining peanuts. He is a little beauty.Some people do not like mice but he is living outside in the garden.I found a neat pile of shredded sunflower seeds and grains.He had carried them there and under the cover of the Polyanthus and Camelia eaten his bounty, acquired from bird drop all over the garden.
He kept coming out even with my Camera flash on.Maybe the birds have told him I am mad but harmless.I even saw Blackspot yesterday poking her nose under the garden gate before dissapearing over the brick wall in the alley.
Time to brave the weather now and see the allotment.

The Blue and the Pink

As Rolf Harris used to say do you know what it is yet? This flower was from my collapsed Cyclamen. It had totally dried out to the roots. I took off the collapsed flowers and dead leaves and watered it. The magic of H2O in reviving wilted plants is spectacular sometimes. From sickly to healthy in an hour or so of water being taken up from the bottom of the pot.
The heater has been on a few times, so the heat must have taken all the moisture out from the soil. It is reviving now on the Kitchen window Sickbay :)
What interested me is the flower from beneath, a pollinators eyes view. It has a blue crown with pollen fillaments as the golden adornments. The dark Pink strip highlights the crowns position.
The Reflexive petals are usually held aloft like a pretty pink Light bulb and you do not see the underside of the flower. This is usually hidden from view above the variegated green leaves. I hope my plant recovers from its shock. It already looks more healthy.
Photographing the fallen flower has shown me a part of it I have never seen before. Its always good to try and look differently at things we think we know. The wander of Vision as a sense!

Phalaenopsis Update

The Phalaenopsis with the new left leaf, and another smaller one growing between the top two leaves.

I repotted the Moth Orchid in a translucent Soup container from Asda, cut down in size, and with lots of holes cut into the bottom.

The orchid mix was a mixture of cut up peat pots and Moss from a hanging basket kit.

Its only watered occasionally and then it is completely soaked with tepid water. The plant food is at half strength. The tepid water runs off the Orchid through the bark/moss mix and out through the bottom of the pot.

Think Tropical rainstorm running through the tree's. The Orchid is Epiphtic, which means it grows on tree's with its roots in detritus that has lodged between the branches. Both the leaves and roots have chlorophyll in them, hence the clear pot so the light can reach the roots.

They are green and growing around the edge of the clear pot. This plant is sat on the kitchen windowsill. It has a large growth which you can see on the right hand side. I dont know if it is an aerial root or a flower spike. I could not find clear pictures of what a growing flower spike looks like..

I bought this plant at half price, and am trying to get it to reflower. It looks suprsingly healthy in this photo. Its a living, breathing project that keeps me interested in plants and trying to mimic its natural surroundings to encourage flowering.

Growing in a dark place

Outside my Windows this is the only thing growing.An unknown tree has regrowth from a cut branch.It has buckled the gravel they have tarmacced over the root ball.

Unlikely growth is an inhospital enviroment.Yet the tree is growing still, roots reaching into the earth through gravel and tarmac..

Back to work for me now all day.More posts soon.

My baby bird of paradise plant...